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King Milton
King, originally known as Joel Zachariah Robinson, is a main character in Housepets!. H''e was introduced as a human in A Sinister Shadow and then in dog form in It's A Wonderful Dog's Life. Though King was developed as more of a side character, his involvement in much the comic has turned him into a main protagonist. Official Site Biography '''NOTE:' This biography is updated. King used to be a human. He is a Welsh Corgi due to the machinations of a superbeing known as Pete. King doesn't WANT to be a dog, although being a human wasn't all upside anyway. The downsides of being a dog is mainly having to associate with dogs, not to mention that Pete is a crappy owner as it is. Why he’s keeping King as a dog, he doesn't know, but he will take every opportunity to be snarky and ungrateful. His only real friend at the moment is Fox, although he’s on okay terms with the K-9 unit so long as they don’t sniff him, touch him or speak to him. Ever. Personality Originally a human being with a troubled past, Joel had joined PETA with the lasting impression that animals cannot be trusted. However even when he was involved in the abortive PETA attempt to kidnap Fox, it was shown he wasn't entirely onboard with the idea. After he was turned into King, he initially had a pessimistic outlook on life until he met Fox. Despite this King would still have trouble accepting his role as a dog until meeting Fox's cousin Bailey. He is annoyed at the fact that the celestials have meddled in his life, but despite this he soon grows to appreciate the nuances of pet life. Due to his past as a human, he often behaves in a way that's seen as strange by the other dogs (such as being uncomfortable with sniffing other's butts), questioning things that seem to come naturally to other animals, and has a habit of fretting over little things. Bailey at one point described him as a "miniature human in a dog suit". He is also the only character to get censored for swearing. (excluding an eagle in chapter 87, "Wolf's Clothing") He is often seen as either angry or upset with low self-esteem as he interacts with the celestials or other characters. There are times where he would act immature or distant, eventually avoiding anything to do with the celestials after The Game is concluded. It is rare for him to stand up for himself and will usually rely on others to assist him with crises whether he wants to or not. Fox points out that it is because he is "so cute or so helpless." King remains a loyal friend to the people he cares about such as when he kept Sasha company when her owner locked her out for the night and his lasting friendship with Fox. An early source of conflict revolved around King trying to hide his identity from Fox, whom he'd kidnapped as a human. Even after Fox discovered the truth, Fox came to forgive him. His hatred of both Bino and Duchess stems from their bad treatment of him. He eventually married Bailey despite the fact people don't take pet marriages seriously. After The Game was concluded, Joel chooses to remain a dog forever to stay with his friends. A later quality shows King usually being anxious and a worry-wart, especially when it comes to Bailey and his children (this could stem from his own unpleasant childhood and/or his beliefs about animal treatment). He was frustrated over Bailey being removed from her old owner (to the point where the two fought over it), he panicked after Bailey was revealed to be pregnant, later consulting a doctor when she went into labor, and constantly worried about his pups when he left them with a sitter. Despite all of this, King has grown accustomed to being both a dog and a father, and remains contented in his new life. Physical Appearance As Joel Robinson Joel is a man in his early 20's. He is skinny and has messy brown hair with brown eyes. He first appeared wearing brown pants and a green shirt with a yellow tie. During Heaven's Not Enough he wore black sun glasses and both Bailey's blue scarf and her dark-gray coat. As King Milton As a dog, he is a pure-bred Pembroke Corgi. He has white fur with a black and light-brown fur pattern on his back, head, and parts of his limbs. He has light-blue eyes and wears a black-and-white collar with a gold buckle, which has a King chess-piece on it as a namesake. History Before Pete transformed King into a dog, King was a human named Joel Robinson, a member of PETA who doesn't trust animals after being abducted and then abandoned by his own pets when he was a child. He spent time in jail before his involvement with PETA and Fox's kidnapping, the crime is still unknown. In his debut appearance, Joel is shown to be deeply disturbed, but somewhat aware of how morally wrong the situation is. As it is pointed out, Joel was willing to hurt others in an attempt to feel better about his own inadequacies. He and his accomplice attempted to abduct Fox, before being stopped by the K-9 unit. On the day of his trial Joel was visited by the celestial being Pete the Griffin, who transformed him into a dog who he named King. After his transformation, King went to live with Pete, who had disguised himself as a dapper human man at the time. King was completely defiant of everyday dog routines and retained his human personality. Due to the curse, King was no longer able to use/say his human name until Pete's eventual arrest. Shortly after moving in, King hesitantly became friends with Fox, who then introduced him to the Good Ol' Dogs Club, only to be upset by Bino who gave King an exploding present. Frustrated and angry with the dogs, King storms out only to run into Sasha who was locked out of her home. In a moment of pity, King decides to stay with Sasha through the night. When we awakes the next day, Pete gives him the impression that King has "changed" therefore would return to being human only to immediately deny him that possibility. Shortly after being settled in his new life, King and Pete have a dispute over his permission to attend a party, which ended with King being locked in a dog carrier. After (eventually) breaking out, King goes to said party, only to learn that Tarot knows his actual identity. Pursuing her into the forest, King discovers he is a player in Pete's game of Universes & Unrealities, alongside the Spirit Dragon and the Great Kitsune. However, Pete is temporarily banned from the game for forcing King into his canine state. In an attempt to amend the wrongdoing caused by Pete, King was sent to live with the Wolf Family as part of The Equal Chance Program and technically is "owned" by Keene Milton. He also regains the ability to use his human name. Later, Pete stole a part of King's soul which fell to Earth in the form of a sport watch. After ignoring it at first, King was informed by Sabrina that it was important to his well-being. Bino claimed the watch leading King on a series of mishaps to retrieve it including having Sasha steal it from Bino. Bino discovered the plot and attempted to destroy it to ensure victory over King. Fox, who was reluctant to have anything to do with the watch once he discovered it belonged to Joel, saved the watch and returned it to King no questions asked. King eventually met Fox's country cousin Bailey, and started a relationship with her. By Christmas of the next year, Bailey had come to live with the Lindbergs after her old owners moved to an area that did not allow pets. King proposes to Bailey who accepts. On the day of the wedding Pete appears to King with a deadline of one year where King would either surrender to him or return to being a human. Later they made history as the first Pets to be officially married. A year later Pete almost forced King to be his avatar but Bailey took his place, after this King became Joel again. After showing Fox his true identity, Fox assaulted Joel only to immediately forgive him. They tried to find a way to help Bailey, this quest led them to meet Cerberus who open the doors of heaven for them. After visiting the heaven and get advice from Bahamut and a way to change between Joel and King forms, King went to Australia with Fox, Rock Milton, Cameron, Karishad and "The Other" Daryl to find Tarot, Sabrina and Bailey and convinced them to stop playing The Game. Spirit Dragon, Cerberus, Great Kitsune and Pete joined them later; and, after failing to persuade theirs avatars to keep playing, Great Kitsune concluded the game with both parties losing. After this Joel, as promised the first time they meet, got a prize from Kitsune. Presented as a "Random" game he could be returned to a perfect human life or back into a dog with the life he had. Taking a hint left by Great Kitsune (something about free will), Joel/King was turned to a dog for good. A little while after, they all traveled back to Babylon Gardens. He now lives with Bailey, at either the Lindberg or the Wolf House. Bailey would eventually become pregnant with his pups, with Great Kitsune assuring him he's all ''corgi now (like he wasn't previously or something). In mid-August, Bailey went into labor at the Wolf House and successfully birthed three puppies, with King proudly naming them Olive, Ace and Rook as they were born. By Christmas that same year, he had settled in to being a father and was happy with his family. A little over a year later, King and Bailey decide to go on a real date after King talks about getting a computer. It is important to note that Bailey comments about King's "old habits" which might be an indication about his original crimes when he was human. Without any other options they hire Peanut and Grape to do it, marking a pivotal moment for the four characters who had rarely been seen together for long periods of time. While on the date, we see King's overprotective side come out as he worries about his kids. They return home with a new computer. King is later seen with Miles where he admits that at the age of eighteen he struggled to find a purpose in life and drifted around for years. It is unknown how this fits in with his aforementioned “college experience.” He quickly asks Miles if he knew that King was once human to which Miles replies that Daryl mentioned it before. Months later as Bailey is surprised to see King's adaption to living under the same roof with an entire family of wolves, and King shrugs it off believing that if he can beat them at outdoorsmanship, he could do anything. Soon after, Lana comes in telling King that just like the rest of the wolf pack, he needs to get a job. Relationships 'Fox' King's best friend and related by marriage. Fox became King's first friend when when he moved to Babylon Gardens,and the two became best friends over time. Fox cares deeply for King, encouraging him to go out and even hurting Bino when he antagonized King. However, Fox was kept in the dark about King's original identity, Joel Robinson, one of the two men who tried to kidnap him. This secret put strain on their relationship during Not All Dogs, when King couldn't explain to Fox why a stopwatch (engraved with "Joel Zachariah Robinson") was so dear to him, not knowing it was really King's Fate. In the end Fox decided to just help his friend, and gave the watch to him. The two continued to hang out, and eventually King fell in love with and married his cousin from Kansas, Bailey, after meeting her during a Thanksgiving trip. He was King's best man at his wedding. Eventually Fox finally found out King's true identity in Heaven's Not Enough, Part 1, and let out his anger on him, but was able to forgive him. Fox also accompanied him to Heaven and Australia to get Bailey back, as King didn't want to travel halfway across the world with people he didn't like. However the two haven't interacted as much since Fox joined the K-9 Unit. To this day their friendship remains strong and they love each other like brothers. 'Bailey' Fox's cousin turned pet-sister and King's wife. The two love each other unconditionally. He became attracted to her the moment he met her when he visited Fox's family in Kansas for Thanksgiving. However King struggled with the idea of being infatuated by a dog, as he still had his human mind, but eventually decided that him being a dog in love with another dog was perfectly okay. He started a long distance relationship with her, talking over the phone. However, in The Unbearable Lightness Of Being A Dog, Bailey moved to Babylon Gardens. They got into an argument over her living situation, but after she cooled down he proposed to her, which she accepted. The two were married in The King And I. However, in Heaven's Not Enough, Part 1 Pete returned to claim King as his avatar, and Bailey offered herself in his place upon finding out King would become human again if Pete did not get his avatar. King went to heaven to meet Bahamut, where the deity revealed Bailey felt the same way towards King as he did to her. Eventually in Heaven's Not Enough, Part 3, he located her in Australia and ended the game once and for all. He was given a choice to remain a dog or to be turned back into a human, he decided to stay a dog to remain with Bailey. In All's Fair, Part 1 he discovered she was pregnant with his pups. Although he fretted over her well-being, King truly cares for her and accepts his role as the father. She successfully gave birth in Special Delivery, and King names the puppies as they are born, two girls and a boy named Olive, Ace, and Rook. '''Olive, Ace, and Rook' King and Bailey's recently born children. King named each as they were born, and loves them all very dearly. Pete King's mortal enemy. Pete transformed Joel into the dog King before he could attend his own trial, disguising himself as a Welsh human. The two moved to Babylon Gardens, where Pete masqueraded as King's owner, subjecting him to the ways of a dog's life. However in Dog Days of Summer Pete was found out for breaking the rules of the cosmic game Universes & Unrealities by using King, who wasn't a dog until he was forced to be one. Pete disappeared from Babylon Gardens and King subsequently moved into the Wolf House. Pete also tried to steal King's Fate but was caught by Cerberus and tried by Bahamut. Eventually Pete returned during King's wedding, to warn him he would forfeit the game in a year, in which case the spell would wear off and he would be turned back into a human. After a year, King summoned Pete to offer himself, but Bailey took King's place. King ventured to Heaven, and then Australia, eventually freeing Bailey from being Pete's avatar in Heaven's Not Enough, Part 3, where he finally stood up to him. Tarot The only dog in the neighborhood who knew about King's identity as Joel (prior to Heaven's Not Enough, Part 1). When King became drunk on orange soda, he flirted with her, which she declined due to his actual species. Tarot is aware of King's celestial troubles, and does her best to help. She often cannot do much due to being Spirit Dragon's avatar, although she did try to warn him of the upcoming danger in The Trial in Heaven. Later on in Heaven's Not Enough, Part 3 she helped him reunite with Bailey, and end the game of Universes & Unrealities. Sabrina The only cat in the neighborhood that knows about King's true identity. Sabrina told King about the watch being part of his being, which prompted him to find it. However during Heaven's Not Enough, Part 3 she got angry at King due to his ignorance of the situation at the time, trying to take matters into his own hands. But she got over it soon after, and helped him and the others. Bino Like many of the other pets, King finds Bino to be generally uncomfortable to be around. Bino has, on several occasions, demonstrated being cruel to King for being the new dog as well as being weird. Bino has even gone as far as to attempt to destroy King's Fate (in watch form) right in front of him, albeit he didn't know what it was, just that it was a prized possession. He was one of the few characters not to attend King's wedding. Sasha Another dog King became friends with on his first day as a dog. He stayed with her when her owner locked her outside, sleeping under a newspaper together. He bought her a doghouse in The Present in case her owner locked her out again. He often turns to her for help, but can get irritated by her dim-wittedness. He openly shows disdain for her alcoholic owner, and tries to talk her into running away, though she doesn't listen. She was the bridesmaid at his wedding. Peanut Despite only seen together in a few strips, its assumed that Peanut and King are pretty good friends, especially since King usually calls Peanut for favors, such as babysitting the pups. Duchess King competed as a couple in a dog show alongside Duchess, but ultimately lost since Duchess was focused on sabotaging the competition, instead of actually impressing the judges. In an effort to gain his attention for the next competition, she chased King around town with her "love whip"- only for King to strike her on the head with a shovel, causing her to black out. Like Bino, she was one of the few characters not to attend King's wedding. Miles One of the other members of the Equal Chance Program. After Pete(in human form) disappeared from Babylon Gardens Miles allowed King to stay at his home with his family. Miles sees King as some sort of adopted son, with his mate Lucretia acting as a mother to him. In Wolf's Clothing King passed the coming of age trial and became an honorary wolf. The cubs often include King in their activities as well. Trivia *Joel was the first human to have his face revealed in comic. *In the third printed book, Housepets! Can Be Real Ladykillers, King got a two-page special: “''King and His Collection of Embarrassing Outfits''” paper dolls. *King's human name, Joel Robinson, is a reference to the main character in the first five seasons of ''Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''of the same name. *King is the only pet-character to be married and have children. *King was the first of several characters to be identified with several tags because of transformation (Pete the Gryphon and Spirit Dragon are others). Sofia is the only one to have not been transformed. Category:Protagonists Category:Characters Category:Dogs Category:Humans Category:Male Characters Category:Dimension Prime Category:King Saga Category:Transformed